


flecks of gold

by gemmywrites



Series: big cat jaskier [2]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Play Fighting, Roach is the Best (The Witcher), big cat jaskier, jaskier tends to bite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25247899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemmywrites/pseuds/gemmywrites
Summary: Jaskier has spent a little too much time without shifting, and Geralt is starting to see the signs.(can be read without reading the other series parts)
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: big cat jaskier [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829149
Comments: 14
Kudos: 303





	flecks of gold

**Author's Note:**

> also on my tumblr @gemmywrites !

Two weeks among civilization had shaped up to be a little too long for Jaskier. But the bard and his Witcher had been gifted with a lucky streak of continuous contracts and inns desperate for music. The troubadour had made every second of this time as grand as could be, keeping a permanent airiness of superiority about him as people called and praised his name. 

But Geralt could see the signs. 

He noticed when Jaskier shut down any form of slander towards the witcher, his words sounding like a hiss, and his voice edged upon gravelly in a way that made Geralt’s fingers twitch at his side. He wanted to grab the collar of the bard’s doublet and yank him back just in case, similar to scruffing a cat. He noticed the flecks of gold detailing Jaskier’s blue eyes when he woke up in the morning. He noticed how Jaskier was extra quick to snark at him, purposefully trying to rile him up while traveling on The Path. 

But finally, finally, the trail came to an end. Their next stop offered no opportunity for monster hunting, and was run by a stingy innkeeper whose bar was successful without Jaskier’s famous ballads. They stayed the night and left again in the morning. Geralt declared that they needed to travel further than the next village over, a journey that would force them to camp in the woods overnight.

On The Path, Jaskier waited about two minutes before shifting into his second form. One moment, a human bard strolled beside Geralt and Roach, and a blink later a large jaguar was brushing against his legs. Golden eyes looked up into the Witcher’s, and Jaskier gave a soft chirp before he darted away, running ahead through the forest. He weaved in and out of sight, leaping through tall grass and stretching his limbs the way he’d been longing for. Roach startled when Jaskier scaled a tree in pursuit of a bird, and Geralt calmed her by stroking her neck.

The trio had only been traveling for a mere half hour when Geralt felt it: eyes on him that made the back of his neck tingle down to the base of his spine. The Witcher looked over his shoulder. A few feet away, Jaskier was frozen mid-prowl. He had one paw lifted in the air, eyes wide, and a low tail that Geralt assumed had been slithering left and right across the ground. He made a convincing statue. 

“No.” Geralt growled, halting Roach and narrowing his cat-like eyes at the jaguar. Jaskier didn’t acknowledge his warning, making no move to end his hunt, or even blink. 

Geralt held back a sigh, regretting his decision to walk with Jaskier instead of riding on Roach. He turned back around slowly, keeping his gaze on the cat for as long as possible. When Jaskier didn’t make any move to attack, Geralt and Roach walked on. It was going to be a long day. 

The Witcher continued like this, leading Roach next to him while Jaksier crept behind him in slow motion. Geralt wondered if he really thought he was going undetected. The feeling of constantly being watched put him on edge, but he’d been around this version of Jaskier enough to be able to differentiate the sensation from any actual danger. Unfortunately for Roach, that wasn’t the case. Geralt couldn’t blame her, as smart as she was, Roach was just a horse and Jaskier was a predator. The longer the stalking went on, the increasingly skittish she became. Geralt had half a mind to Axii her, but since Jaskier wasn’t a real monster, he didn’t want to get in the habit of doing so. 

This time, the Witcher didn’t hold back his sigh. He turned off the path into the woods, scouting for a location where Roach could have a snack. After clearing the area of any potentially poisonous plants, Geralt throws the reins over her head and sends her on her way. 

“Fine.” Geralt caves, turning around to see Jaskier frozen once more. The Witcher waves a hand in a ‘come here’ sort of gesture. “We’ll stop here for a bit, so-“ 

His sentence goes unfinished as the jaguar leaps, pouncing onto the other man, and Geralt lets himself be pushed to the ground. Jaskier’s large paws press into Geralt’s chest as he settles over the man, opening his mouth to nip at Geralt’s jaw. The Witcher won’t let Jaskier win so easily, though, so he pushes the jaguar off with one arm and hops to his feet. Jaskier swipes at Geralt’s leg, trying to pull it towards him with both his front paws. It hardly takes any effort for Geralt to yank his leg out of the jaguar’s grasp, but Jaskier seems to be anticipating this, as he immediately snags the leather sleeve of Geralt’s jacket between his teeth. He lowers his body to the ground, stabilizing himself as he pulls Geralt’s arm with him, the Witcher having no other option but to follow the movement or risk damage to his jacket. He bends over, and Jaskier takes advantage of his unbalanced posture, releasing the jacket and jumping to lunge at Geralt again. 

They both tumble into the grass, Jaskier forcing Geralt to the ground with all of his body weight. The jaguar’s face was extremely close to the Witcher’s. Paws gripped broad shoulders, claws elongated and digging into leather. Jaskier growls, low in his throat with a rumble that echoes throughout his whole body. Geralt knows where this is going. He swiftly pushes the jaguar’s face away with one hand, interrupting Jaskier’s open-mouthed descent to his neck. 

As much as Geralt trusted Jaskier not to injure him, the bard had a habit of getting carried away, and would have to shift a few more times before Geralt let him get so close to his jugular. The cat huffed and blinked from the Witcher’s hand being so close to his eye, but then leans his cheek into the Witcher’s palm. The affection only lasts a moment before Jaskier turns his face in an attempt to gnaw on Geralt’s fingers. 

“Ok, you won. Are you done now?” Geralt asks, glancing to the left to check if Roach was still around. She stood a few feet away with several blades of grass sticking out of her mouth, looking a bit offended by the roughhousing that had just taken place. A sharp fang catches the skin on his index finger, drawing the smallest drop of blood, and Geralt pulls his hand away with a feigned, “Ouch.” 

Jaskier narrows his eyes, looking like he’d roll them if he could. Despite what his expression portrayed, Jaskier withdrew his claws and released the man he had pinned to the ground. The relief from pressure didn’t last long for Geralt, because instead of Jaskier moving off, he settled his whole body weight over the Witcher’s torso. It was natural for Geralt’s hands to stroke through the fur on Jaskier’s back, who was looking at Geralt and slowly closing his eyes, before dropping his head and rubbing his cheek against the leather beneath him. 

Jaskier’s fur was almost unnaturally soft, and dense enough for a person’s hands to get lost in. They laid together in silence, listening to the wind whisper through the leaves on trees and bushes, and to the steady sound of Roach chewing mouthfuls of grass. Jaskier’s tail flitted around lazily, bouncing left and right beside their bodies. It didn’t take long for his tail to portray his restless energy, something Geralt had learned to look out for during his time traveling with Jaskier like this. This time, the jaguar was quick, giving himself away with only a few agitated flicks of his tail before his jaw was clamped down upon Geralt’s bicep.

“Jaskier..” Geralt begins to warn, but the bite was quick and powerful, Jaskier withdrawing almost immediately as if he was expecting retaliation from the Witcher. It wasn’t an unjust expectation, sometimes Geralt had to resort to squeezing the fat on the back of his neck to get him to let go when Jaskier became a bit... bite friendly. The jaguar wore a smug expression, as if he was proud of himself for landing an extra hit on Geralt, and rose to his feet, trotting a few feet away and looking down The Path. A signal that he was ready to move on. 

Geralt shook his head at his friend’s behavior, but followed his lead nonetheless. He was just glad Jaskier didn’t bite through his jacket. A short whistle had Roach striding closer and standing patiently to let Geralt place his left foot in the stirrup and swing his right leg over. They trotted to where Jaskier was waiting, who was already distracted by a giant beetle that was flying around his head. Geralt spurred Roach on, clicking and digging his heels into her sides, taking off at a canter. 

He smirked.

“Race you to the next town.”


End file.
